Server rooms

Data center and server room cooling in Panama: parameters, maintenance and monitoring

A server room is not cooled for comfort: it is cooled to meet a range. These are the reference parameters, why Panama’s climate complicates them and what to maintain and monitor.

By Limpieza de Ductos PanamáOctober 14, 20268 min readShare

Short answer

The reference for a server room is the ASHRAE thermal guideline (TC 9.9, fifth edition, 2021): 18 to 27 °C dry bulb, -9 °C to 15 °C dew point and up to 70% relative humidity, which drops to 50% or less if there are signs of corrosion. With ETESA’s monthly averages, the outdoor dew point in Panama City is estimated at roughly 20 to 24 °C, above that 15 °C limit, so the air entering the room must be dehumidified and maintenance of drainage, coils and filters is part of the design.

ASHRAE reference parameters

Parameter	Recommended range (classes A1 to A4)	Allowable range class A1
Dry-bulb temperature	18 to 27 °C	15 to 32 °C
Dew point and relative humidity	From -9 °C dew point to 15 °C dew point, and 70% relative humidity (50% if there is corrosion)	From -12 °C and 8% to 17 °C and 80%

Source: reference card of the fifth edition of Thermal Guidelines for Data Processing Environments (ASHRAE TC 9.9, 2021), Table 2.1. If silver and copper coupon tests show corrosion levels above the guideline’s limits, relative humidity should be driven to 50% or lower. D-10

Why Panama’s dew point complicates the room

ETESA month (Tocumen)	Mean temperature	Mean relative humidity	Estimated dew point
March (the least humid)	27.1 °C	64.9%	about 19.9 °C
October (the most humid)	27.0 °C	82.4%	about 23.7 °C

Own estimate with the Magnus formula from ETESA’s monthly averages (1977 to 2010); it is an approximation, because averages do not reflect the most humid hours of the day, and it does not replace a measurement. Even so, both values are above the guideline’s 15 °C dew point limit. C-01

What it implies is practical: any outdoor air entering the room, by infiltration or by ventilation, brings a dew point higher than the recommended maximum, so the system has to dehumidify permanently. And a system that dehumidifies produces condensate, that is, damp coils, pans and drains. That puts maintenance of those components at the center of the room’s design.

What to maintain

FiltersFilter efficiency and airborne particles are the factors that most accelerate coil fouling. D-04

CoilsA typical coil doubles its pressure drop in about 7.5 years; in marginal systems, the impact is much larger. D-04

Pan and drainWith permanent dehumidification, a blocked drain is a failure waiting to happen. C-02

Pressure dropIts measurement is among the best rated methods to track a system over time. E-26

What to monitor

Temperature and humidity (or dew point) at the inlet of the IT equipment.
Pressure drop across filters and the coil.
Return and supply temperature.
Condensate and drain alarms.
Record of readings to compare with the previous visit.

What to define in writing for a failure

A server room has minimal tolerance for downtime, which is why the maintenance plan should define in writing who acts, with which contact details and with what priority, rather than improvising when it happens. This page does not publish response times: each commitment must be agreed and documented case by case.

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Frequently asked questions

What temperature should a server room have?

The ASHRAE guideline recommends 18 to 27 °C dry bulb for classes A1 to A4, with a wider allowable range that depends on the class (15 to 32 °C for class A1). The range stated by the IT equipment manufacturer should be confirmed.

Why does dew point matter and not only relative humidity?

Because dew point expresses the air’s moisture content in absolute terms, while relative humidity changes with temperature. The ASHRAE guideline sets dew point and relative humidity limits at the same time.

Do a server room’s ducts need cleaning?

Only if an inspection justifies it, using the EPA criteria. Many rooms use precision equipment with their own distribution, so the usual practice is to inspect filters, coils, pans and drains before ducts. The criteria are in when to clean ducts and how it should be done.

Keep reading

Preventive maintenance and energy efficiencyDocumented maintenance and energy data.Open →Air conditioning maintenance in industrial plantsComfort, process and dust.Open →HVAC maintenance contractsWhat they cover and how the return is calculated.Open →Indoor air quality and tropical climate in ductsPanama’s humidity, microbial contamination and recontamination.Open →

Related toolDuct inspection plannerEstimate the level of attention your system needs based on use and warning signs.Open planner →

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